As the famous philosopher Mick Jagger taught us, you can't always get what you want.
Everyone wants things. In Dear Mr. Henshaw, Leigh wants friends, all of his lunch, a relationship with his dad, and a whole family. His mom wants money, a stable home, and to move on in life after divorce. Dad wants freedom and relationships, though he doesn't know how to go about hanging on to that last one. We're rooting for Leigh to get what he wants as he struggles to figure out life, school, and his parents. And it's interesting to see how the story doesn't wrap itself up neatly like a Disney movie but is instead very true to the messiness of real life.
You might not always get what you want, but as Dr. Jagger concluded long ago—if you try sometimes, you just might find you get what you need.
Questions About Desires
- Is it a bad thing for Leigh to want something he can't have?
- Is it possible for both Leigh and Dad to get what they want?
- Does Dad want a relationship with Leigh and Mom? How can you tell? How does this affect Leigh and Mom?
Chew on This
If it weren't for wanting things, Leigh would have no motivation to change.
What Leigh wants and how he goes about getting it tells a lot about his character.